Page 130 - Bulletin 22 2019
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The next owner was another of the many interesting people who lived in this part of Kalk Bay.
‘Clem’ (Ernest Clement) Dyason bought Prospect in 1939 as a retirement home and lived there
until his death aged 83 in 1953. (Fig. 3.20.) He had a long career with the Prisons Department. In
1891 he was Assistant Superintendent at the Tokai Convict Station and Assistant Superintendent
at the Porter Reformatory (Cape Civil Service). An interesting artifact, still in the house in 2018,
proves that he was in Kimberley in 1914 - 15. (Fig. 3.21.)
His first wife Anna Sophia Cloete van Reenen had died in 1937 and he married Mary Elizabeth
Pirie a 61 year old spinster in 1939. When he died he left an extensive and detailed will and a
large estate totaling £17,621. He had no children and the house and other property were
transferred to his wife Mary. There were numerous bequests to charitable organizations, among
them £100 to the Kalk Bay-Muizenberg Sports Club Bowling Section for the purchase of a
floating trophy to be known as the ‘Clem Dyason Cup’.
His wife Mary sold Prospect in 1961 (she died in 1962) and the house passed through the hands
of George Dunlop Wilson and Julian Presland Williams before being bought by Donn Cassidy in
1973.
Development of Essex Road
Essex Road was named after Essex Cottage in Harris Road. At the top left lies a narrow plot on
which stood Woodbine Cottage. Its erf 89990 (Fig. 3.13.) has a complex history of division and
consolidation but its story begins when it was bought by John William (von) Coppenhagen (also
spelt Copenhagen) in 1896 (see erf 89991). He was a long term resident of Kalk Bay and held
the then-important position of Postmaster in the village. He had a great interest in education and
headed the Board of the Kalk Bay Public School for many years.
In 1898 he had plans passed for a small house that was typical of other houses being built in the
area at the time (see Figs. 4.15 & 4.27, KBHA Bull. 21.) In 1911 the property was sold to John
Montagu Bain, a grandson of the famous pass builder Andrew Geddes Bain whose sister lived in
Harris Road. He owned the house for only two years. Although an avid fisherman he went
farming at Somerset West for years. (Figs. 3.22 & 3.23.)
